WEEK 3 TRAINING
This is one of my favorite weeks of Rooted. The idea of God as creator & redeemer (week 2) is fundamental to our perception of him, but learning his voice is fundamental to fully following him. Yes! His voice! So, many Christians live their lives with God at arm’s length. We follow the principles that are obvious in the Bible or we learn from others what he expects. Those are great ways to understand God’s will, but that’s not fullness of relationship he wants to have with us. He does want to speak and we’re wired to hear him!
God’s voice may or may not be audible, but it can be clear. Chances are, few people have ever heard an audible voice. Today, especially with the Holy Spirit, God speaks internally and directly to our Spirit. With practice, we can learn the difference between the voice of our own egos or superegos and the voice of the Spirit inside us.
Here are a few helpful principles to supplement what you read. Listen to what your group says, though, and don’t force these ideas. Don’t teach! Do point toward the Bible.
This might be a weird discussion for some, but that tension is what will help them to grow. Be attentive to church background that have overemphasized or abused the idea of God speaking in audible ways. They can sometime belittle spiritual journeys that haven’t had these “profound” experiences. We’re not in that business. That’s not how God operates. He prioritizes the way we love others over any miraculous experience (1 Corinthians 13).
Others will come from a church background that claims the supernatural power of God does not invade our world anymore. They’ll claim it stopped being useful, so it stopped happening in the beginning of Acts. That is not a Biblical idea. Be sensitive to that, but don’t let that hard stance shut anyone down. While we don’t see a lot of supernatural things in our lives necessarily, there are plenty of modern stories of God showing up in miraculous ways. It’s okay to be skeptical, but I’d encourage us not to simply write-off any story that may have been God showing up. He does work through natural means even more than supernatural ones. I mean, he did create those, too. Nature’s existence itself is the supernatural fingerprint of God.
Here’s the point: God wants to and does speak. We just need to learn what his voice sounds like by getting to know him and decluttering our attention in our distraction-saturated world. If you can point your group and yourself in that direction, that has the power to absolutely change everything! Just that epiphany itself will make Rooted worth it. No pressure.
Jesus is the perfect representation of God’s character (Hebrews 1:3).
God’s voice may or may not be audible, but it can be clear. Chances are, few people have ever heard an audible voice. Today, especially with the Holy Spirit, God speaks internally and directly to our Spirit. With practice, we can learn the difference between the voice of our own egos or superegos and the voice of the Spirit inside us.
Here are a few helpful principles to supplement what you read. Listen to what your group says, though, and don’t force these ideas. Don’t teach! Do point toward the Bible.
- The Bible is our Canon. That is, it is our “standard” or “measuring stick.” While it can be complicated at times, God speaks clearly enough through it that we can learn the kind of things he’s is going to say.
- God speaks through many voices. This is definitely in your book, but this is such an important reminder. God’s voice will show up in a chorus of voices that will all sing in harmony. That includes: the Bible, wise/godly relationships, your internal sense, circumstances, and your own desires. And that’s probably the order we should prioritize them though. If any of the first ones are singing a dissonant note to others, they’re probably wrong.
This might be a weird discussion for some, but that tension is what will help them to grow. Be attentive to church background that have overemphasized or abused the idea of God speaking in audible ways. They can sometime belittle spiritual journeys that haven’t had these “profound” experiences. We’re not in that business. That’s not how God operates. He prioritizes the way we love others over any miraculous experience (1 Corinthians 13).
Others will come from a church background that claims the supernatural power of God does not invade our world anymore. They’ll claim it stopped being useful, so it stopped happening in the beginning of Acts. That is not a Biblical idea. Be sensitive to that, but don’t let that hard stance shut anyone down. While we don’t see a lot of supernatural things in our lives necessarily, there are plenty of modern stories of God showing up in miraculous ways. It’s okay to be skeptical, but I’d encourage us not to simply write-off any story that may have been God showing up. He does work through natural means even more than supernatural ones. I mean, he did create those, too. Nature’s existence itself is the supernatural fingerprint of God.
Here’s the point: God wants to and does speak. We just need to learn what his voice sounds like by getting to know him and decluttering our attention in our distraction-saturated world. If you can point your group and yourself in that direction, that has the power to absolutely change everything! Just that epiphany itself will make Rooted worth it. No pressure.
Jesus is the perfect representation of God’s character (Hebrews 1:3).
Prayer Experience
Be sure to solidify your Prayer Experience plans ASAP! Don’t let logistics get in the way of the Spirit. If you need a location at the church, please email Bethy at gmcadmin@grangermc.com.
Serve Experience
It’s never too early to set a date to serve. Feel free to use this early time period to get a jump on that.